Gordon Ramsay’s UK restaurants business sees losses grow to £15.8m before merger of operations: Gordon Ramsay’s UK restaurants business has seen its pre-tax losses increase to £15.8m amid a number of closures. The business currently operates 32 UK sites including four under its Street Pizza brand and seven under its Street Burger brand, with sites in Reading and London’s St Paul’s closed and on the market. Accounts filed at Companies House for Union Street Café, the company that operates Ramsay’s UK restaurants, show pre-tax losses grew to £15,758,086 in the 70 weeks to 29 December 2024 on turnover that increased to £64,531,848. This compares with a loss of £4,606,753 in the shorter trading period for the year to 27 August 2023 on revenue of £47,383,957. Losses in 2024 included £1,133,266 of exceptional items, which consisted of unspecified site closures, as well as a £3,922,124 impairment on four casual dining restaurants and three premium casual sites. The number of staff reduced to 611 from 744. Cash fell to £9,472 from £339,264, with current liabilities increasing by £13.2m to £58,678,664. Ramsay had personal guarantees totalling £3,750,000 for the group banking facility. He has brought several of his brands to 22 Bishopsgate in London this year, including Lucky Cat and a new Restaurant Gordon Ramsay High. He also has plans for his Hell’s Kitchen brand to come to the UK next spring at the Cumberland hotel in Marble Arch, in partnership with Clermont Hotel Group, and a new Bread Street Kitchen is due to open at 22 Bishopsgate in the first half of 2026. In February, Ramsay agreed with existing investment partner Lion Capital to merge its UK and US restaurant operations under one jointly owned entity based in London. The reorganisation involved extending its reporting period for the UK sites to bring it in line with international operations. Ramsay founded his restaurants business in 1998 and has also expanded internationally, opening 65 restaurants, including in the US and Asia. Earlier this month, parent company Gordon Ramsay Restaurants reported record turnover of £134m for the 70 weeks to 29 December 2024. This covered both UK trading and international licensing business, excluding North America. The group told Propel it has seen a “solid performance” across its business in 2025, and has 20 openings lined up for the coming year. 

Investment market panel to be held at final Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2025, open for bookings: An investment market panel will be held at the final Propel Multi-Club Conference of 2025, which is open for bookings. Andrew Ball, senior hospitality partner at haysmacintyre, will talk to Harry Goss, partner at McWin, Luke Johnson, co-founder and partner of Risk Capital Partners, Yasha Estraikh, associate partner at Piper Private Equity, Lizzie Ryan, managing partner at Imbiba, and David Roberts, partner at CMS McKenna, about the current investment market, where the buyer activity is centred and what the current investment criteria is in a volatile market. The all-day conference takes place on Wednesday, 5 November, at the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London’s Kensington. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Operators can book up to three free places per company while Premium subscribers who are operators can book up to four free places. To book, email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com

Premium Club subscribers to receive updated Multi-Site Database and videos from Culture, Talent & Training Conference on Friday: Premium Club subscribers are to receive the updated Multi-Site Database on Friday (31 October), at 12pm. The next Propel Multi-Site Database provides details of 3,474 multi-site operators and is searchable in seven main segments. The database features 1,001 (29%) operators from the casual dining sector, 798 (23%) pub and bar operators, 602 (17%) cafe bakery operators, 487 (14%) quick service restaurant operators, 283 (8%) hotel operators, 229 (7%) experiential leisure operators and 54 (2%) fine dining operators. The database is updated each month, and this edition includes 20 new companies. The database includes new companies in the casual dining sector such as Leeds brunch concept House of Koko, independent Birmingham pizza restaurant Smoke and Ash, and sushi bar concept Little Lotus. Premium Club subscribers will also receive all the videos from the Culture, Talent & Training Conference on Friday, at 9am. They include Jonathan Lawson, chief executive of Butcombe Group – one of The Sunday Times Best Companies to Work For – discussing how all of the group’s employees are as individual as its pubs with no two being the same, how it continues to invest in training and development to underpin that ethos, and how he sees the employee/employer relationship developing. Premium Club subscribers also receive access to five additional databases: the New Openings Database, the Turnover & Profits Blue Book, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisor Database, the UK Food and Beverage Franchisee Database and the Who's Who of UK Hospitality. All Premium Club subscribers will be offered a 20% discount on tickets to Propel paid-for events and discounts on specialist sector reports. Operators that are Premium Club subscribers are also able to send up to four members of staff to each of our four Multi-Club Conferences for free. Premium Club subscribers receive their daily Propel Info newsletter 11 hours earlier than standard subscribers, at 7pm the evening before. They also receive videos of presentations at eight Propel conference events two weeks after they are held. This represents around 100 videos of industry insight over the course of the year. Premium Club subscribers also receive exclusive opinion columns every Friday at 5pm, which include the thoughts of Propel group editor Mark Wingett and a host of industry leaders from across the sector. A Premium Club subscription costs an annual sum of £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Premium Club for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or supplier. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

Raising living wage ‘will price jobs out of existence’, chancellor warned: Sector bosses have warned plans to raise the national living wage “will price jobs out of existence” and result in further business closures. The Times reported chancellor Rachel Reeves plans to increase the national living wage from £12.21 to at least £12.70 an hour in a bid to improve living standards across Britain. The government also plans to extend the living wage to workers between 18 and 21. JD Wetherspoon founder and chairman, Sir Tim Martin, said: “The hospitality industry has been squeezed between a doubling of energy costs since 2019 and a rocketing wage bill – pushing up costs, simultaneously, for all suppliers to the industry. The problem is an unthinking retreat from market forces, with the politicisation of the commanding heights of enterprise – wages and energy – and a blissful unawareness of the long-term economic consequences.” While many businesses are expecting a rise in the national living wage, hospitality and retail companies have argued they are already bearing the brunt of higher national insurance contributions levied on employers in April and the lowering of the threshold at which national insurance is paid. Wetherspoon had previously said the national insurance changes unveiled in the Budget last October would cost it an extra £60m annually. Alex Reilley, the executive chairman of Loungers, said: “While no one is against the principle of the national living wage rising, we’ve seen an increase of almost 30% over the last three years, and that’s before this proposed increase. Without any kind of pro-business measures, an enforced increase to the cost base of the hospitality sector is unsustainable and will result in more business closures and more jobs lost, further decimating our already-beleaguered high streets and town centres.” William Lees-Jones, managing director of north west brewer and retailer JW Lees, added that rising staff costs could discourage pub companies from hiring younger people, including those looking for their first job. UKHospitality chair Kate Nicholls said: “If you want fair pay, you have got to have sustainable businesses. If you are pricing those jobs out of existence, it doesn’t matter how high the minimum wage goes.” A spokesman for HM Treasury said: “By strengthening the national living and minimum wage for three million workers across all age bands, we aim to support business growth through reduced staff turnover and by helping to achieve higher productivity.”

Heineken boss – ‘beer's value as social lubricant is important in health debate’: Beer’s qualities as a “social lubricant” must play an important role in the debate about the harms of alcohol, Heineken chief executive Dolf van den Brink has said. He told the FT that “in this time of loneliness and a mental health epidemic”, beer’s role in bringing people together was “important to make part of the public debate”. Public health bodies are hardening their stance against alcohol, prompting the industry to talk up the non-health benefits of drinking such as socialising and to question new research into the dangers of moderate consumption. Van den Brink said while the discussion about the effect of moderate alcohol consumption on health was legitimate, it lacked nuance. “We do believe that it’s not always reported in a balanced way, telling the full picture, because the relationship between alcohol and health is complex,” he said, while stressing the debate needed to start by emphasising the harmful use of alcohol. Socialising had been at the core of Heineken’s marketing for decades and was “part of the essence of the product”, he said. Last week, Heineken announced a five-year plan to get consumers to buy more beer and boost efficiency at the company, which, like other alcoholic drinks producers, has been hit by weaker consumer demand. At an investor presentation in Seville, the brewer said 80% of its investment would go towards Amstel, Desperados, Moretti, Tiger and Heineken, with a quarter of its 350 brands getting none at all. Van den Brink also warned there would be more brewery closures, but “not at a large scale”. 

Job of the day: COREcruitment is working with a global premium beverage brand that is seeking a finance director for its newly formed growth markets team. A COREcruitment spokesperson said: “The company is on an ambitious growth trajectory across EMEA and APAC and plans to double its footprint within three years. Reporting to the managing director – growth markets, the finance director role is a key business partner to the executive team, shaping strategy and providing actionable financial guidance.” The position is based in London and offers a salary of up to £100,000. For more information, email oliwia@corecruitment.com

Saudi Arabia-based fast food brand seeking franchise partners for UK expansion: Saudi Arabia-based fast-food brand I’m Hungry is seeking franchise partners with which to expand into the UK. I’m Hungry was founded when Mohamed Al Ghamdi was inspired by his son wanting a healthy, fresh burger meal – but found no restaurant could meet his expectations. His son’s oft-repeated phrase of “I’m hungry” became the name of his mission to “create a restaurant that served burgers the right way, from fresh-cut meat prepared daily, with no shortcuts”. The first branch opened in Saudi Arabia in 2016, and it now has circa 30 signed units across the region, including 15 operational locations and multiple regional territorial agreements. I’m Hungry has now signed with The Franchise Consultant and is seeking area developer franchisees for the UK, with packages including a £250,000 franchise fee and total investment of £500,000-plus. The company offers a “diverse menu”, from beef and chicken burgers to wraps, salads, hot dogs and breakfast meals, made with 100% fresh meat and locally sourced ingredients, and using no hydrogenated oils or preservatives. “After achieving remarkable success with our fresh, fast-food offering across Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Dubai, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, I’m Hungry is now seeking to expand its global footprint,” a company spokesman said. “We are offering area developer franchise opportunities across the UK, to driven entrepreneurs eager to build thriving businesses in the ever-growing fast-food industry. As an area developer, you will acquire exclusive rights to develop and manage the I’m Hungry brand within a defined territory in the UK. There is potential to purchase a territory that covers the whole of the UK as well. As an area developer, you can unlock the potential for higher income through sub-franchise development. You will operate much like a franchisor, overseeing the growth and success of sub-franchisees within your exclusive territory. This requires strong leadership, business acumen and franchise management skills.” Propel’s inaugural Franchisor Showcase, which will put the spotlight on ten up-and-coming food and beverage franchisors, takes place on Tuesday, 25 November at One Moorgate Place in London. This is a unique chance to explore exciting franchise opportunities. For the full speaker schedule, click here. Free places for operators and investors only are available by emailing kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com

Emma Woods to step down as Tortilla chair at end of year: Emma Woods will step down from her role as non-executive chair of Tortilla at the end of the year. Woods joined Tortilla in October 2021 after working with founder Brandon Stephens to secure a successful initial public offering listing. She previously spent four and half years, from December 2018 to June 2021, as chief executive of Wagamama, and more than three years, from July 2013 to March 2017, as group digital and marketing director for Merlin Entertainments. She has also performed several non-executive director roles for the likes of Gym Group, Huel and Abba Voyage, and is also chair of collagen and wellness brand Ancient + Brave. Tortilla said its board has already initiated a search for “an experienced independent chair to support the group's next phase of growth, including its international expansion plans”. It said Woods has agreed to remain with the group for the remainder of this year to ensure an orderly transition. Woods said: “It has been an absolute privilege to serve as chair of Tortilla alongside Brandon, [chief executive] Andy [Naylor] and the rest of the board. Over the past four years, I've loved watching our passionate teams grow the business in the UK and take our first steps into Europe through the conversion of Fresh Burritos stores in France. With Tortilla now well positioned for its next phase of international growth, this feels the right moment to hand over the burrito baton to a new chair to help drive the business’ European and franchise ambitions.” Naylor added: “On behalf of the company and the board, I would like to sincerely thank Emma for her leadership and commitment over her four-year tenure as chair. During this period, she has provided valuable guidance and governance oversight through a time of significant growth for the business. The board wishes her every success in the future.” It comes a fortnight after Tortilla hired Richard Haley – formerly of Trainline, Nightcap, Delinian, Halma, William Hill, Future, Tesco and the British Standards Institute – as its new chief financial officer. At the end of last month, Tortilla said it expects 2025 to be its “most profitable year ever” in the UK as it followed record first half Ebitda and 5% like-for-like sales growth with strong current trading. For the 26 weeks to 29 June 2025, the company reported revenue of £36.0m (2024: £31.5m) and adjusted Ebitda (pre-IFRS 16) of £1.2m (2024: £1.8m). The UK delivered £2.4m, an increase of 33% on the prior year, offset by a £1.2m loss in France. The loss before tax was £2.3m (2024: £0.2m loss). The UK delivered a small loss before tax of £0.3m, while the French operations reported a loss before tax of £2.0m. 

Little Dessert Shop to extend dark kitchen trial with four more openings: Dessert franchise Little Dessert Shop is to extend its dark kitchen trial with four more openings. The company, which has grown to more than 50 locations since being founded in 2014 by Mu’azzam Ali, opened its first dark kitchen site in May, in Preston. The company said at the time that it will look at how the Preston location performs before deciding whether to extend the model further. Ali said: “Little Dessert Shop is officially expanding its footprint with the launch of four new dark kitchens, making the start of a bold new chapter for the brand. From London’s Wood Green (28 October) to Stonehouse in Gloucestershire (6 November), this rollout allows us to deliver our handcrafted, viral desserts to even more customers across the UK. This trial is a major step in our strategy to blend innovation with accessibility, reaching dessert lovers wherever they are, while keeping our quality and creativity front and centre. The UK’s delivery scene is growing faster than ever, and we’re proud to be shaping what the future of premium dessert delivery looks like. Here’s to sweet growth ahead!” Ali told Propel in December that he is aiming to double the brand’s estate by the end of 2027 as it focuses on new areas of the UK. He is also looking to roll out more of his four-strong X model locations – which sees Little Dessert Shop and sister concept Betsy’s, which offers premium burgers, sit under one roof.

Dishoom eyes new London site: Dishoom, the award-winning Indian restaurant group, is looking to further enhance its presence in London, with an opening in Bankside. Propel understands Dishoom has submitted a planning application to open a site at the Hop Exchange, the grade-II listed building at 24 Southwark Street. Last month, Brian Trollip, chief executive of Dishoom, told Propel that after taking on its first investment partner, there was no pressure on the business to go faster – but there was “pressure to double down and make everything at Dishoom even better”. This summer, the 15-strong group received outside investment for the first time following a deal with L Catterton – the global investment firm that is 40% owned by LVMH, the French multinational holding company and conglomerate that specialises in luxury goods. It came as Dishoom, which recently opened in Glasgow, searches for a US debut site in New York. Last week, the company also secured planning approval for its proposed site in Leeds. The company, as previously reported, will take over the former Flannels unit, occupying a prime 8,000 square-foot space across two floors between the Victoria Gate and Victoria Quarter shopping centres, in the city, with an opening planned for next spring.

Tokyo Industries gears up to open new Manchester venue: Tokyo Industries, the UK’s largest private operator of bars and nightclubs alongside multiple international operations in Los Angeles, Palm Springs, New York, Palma, and Ibiza, is to open a new venue in Manchester, later this week. The business will open an Irish bar with an “Irish American feel” on the former Red’s True Barbecue site in the city’s Albert Square. The site currently has no name. Mellor said: “Deciding on names for venues is always so hard – we’ve come up with about 300 names and suffering choice fatigue. It’s a new Irish bar with an Irish American feel set in the Reds True Barbecue site in Albert Square, Manchester. Amazing food – great live entertainment – the finest Guinness – the coolest cocktails – all day Ulster breakfasts – Guinness gravy Sunday roasts.” Names suggested so far include Dirty O’Sullivans, Reds True Irish, The Craic Den, House of Guinness and Murphy’s Law. Mellor’s business owns and operates “47 of the UKs coolest clubs, bars and festivals”, as well as 19 international venues.

Boparan Restaurant Group owner – ‘we’ll always take a bit of a risk’: Boparan Restaurant Group owner Ranjit Singh Boparan has said “we’ll always take a bit of a risk” when it comes to adding to its restaurant business. Alongside food businesses, the family owns a number of high street restaurant brands – including Carluccio’s, Ed’s Easy Diner and Fishworks – through the Boparan Private Office, a separate business to its manufacturing arm 2 Sisters. At the height of the covid-19 pandemic, Boparan acquired two high street restaurant brands: Gourmet Burger Kitchen and Carluccio’s. Boparan told The Sunday Times: “I rang my bank and said I’m looking to buy one of these businesses. I think he rang my finance director and said: ‘Do not buy a restaurant business.’ So I bought both. We’ll always take a bit of a risk. We always take on a challenge and if it went wrong it wasn’t going to break the bank.” As well as acquisitions, Boparan is growing the 127-strong restaurant business organically. Slim Chickens, the US brand that Boparan brought to the UK in 2018, now has 70 stores in the UK. Earlier this month, the group told Propel that Slim Chickens was “primed for rapid growth”, with a pipeline of 50 sites across the UK, Ireland and Europe confirmed for 2026, including three new drive-thrus opening in the first quarter. Boparan told The Sunday Times he leaves the team to run the restaurants. “What do I know about running restaurants, apart from eating in them,” he said – although reviews of the restaurants are monitored and categorised by his office and staff bonuses are based on mystery shopper scores rather than sales targets.

Roadchef hires new CFO: Motorway services operator Roadchef has hired Josh Egan as its new chief financial officer, Propel has learned. Egan succeeds James Muirhead, who has decided to step down after 11 years with Roadchef. Egan joins from Marks Electrical, where he served as chief financial officer for the past four years and led the company’s initial public offering. Roadchef said he brings extensive financial experience, having previously spent a significant part of his career at Intertek Group, a FTSE 100 testing company, where he held senior roles including regional chief financial officer and head of investor relations. Roadchef chief executive Tim Gittins said: “I would like to thank James Muirhead on behalf of the board for his outstanding contribution after 11 successful years with the business. After conducting a rigorous search process, we are pleased to confirm that Josh Egan has joined the business. He brings a wealth of experience and with the support of him and the wider leadership team I am confident he will help lead the company through the next stage of growth.” In July, the group, which operates 30 motorway service areas across the UK, reported turnover of £247.4m for the year to 29 December 2024, down from £256m in 2023, as “significant roadwork disruption” on the M1 and M25 motorways affected trading.

Lucky Voice locked in £250,000 VAT dispute with HMRC: Lucky Voice, the social entertainment business, is locked in a dispute with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to claw back £250,000, claiming it should have qualified for a reduced VAT rate during the covid pandemic. The dispute centres around whether its bars can be considered “cultural attractions”. Managing director Charlie Elek claims the company was unfairly excluded from paying a lower VAT rate by HMRC, while other leisure businesses such as tenpin bowling alleys were granted a discount. Elek told The Sunday Times he was aware of one case in which a bowling company that also offered karaoke was granted the discounted rate. It is understood the bowling company in question was later told that HMRC’s decision to grant it the lower VAT rate on karaoke services had been reversed. Elek believes this happened shortly after he raised Lucky Voice’s case with HMRC. Lucky Voice was granted a reduced rate of VAT on its food and non-alcoholic drinks. However, Elek was told the admission fees for its karaoke rooms would not be eligible for the lower rate because, in the eyes of HMRC, Lucky Voice’s customers paid for access to the equipment rather than for any sort of cultural activity. Elek had initially planned to drop the issue, but was spurred into action after learning that bowling firms had won back significant sums of money. Hollywood Bowl, for instance, had initially been disqualified, but eventually claimed back millions of pounds after successfully challenging HMRC’s decision. Lucky Voice, which was founded in 2005 and runs five karaoke bars in London and one in Brighton, lodged an appeal with the first-tier tribunal and the hearing is due to take place in February. Elek cited the example of Ingliston, a company offering supercar driving experiences that won a first-tier tribunal appeal on this issue in May. HMRC is seeking permission to challenge the decision. A hospitality industry source said there were a “stack of companies caught up in this and there are tens of millions of pounds on the line”. HMRC declined to comment.

Cow & Sow’s digital wallet-based loyalty programme generates sales of £100,000 in its first 100 days: Entrepreneur Mark Warburton has said Cow & Sow’s digital wallet-based loyalty programme has generated sales of £100,000 in its first 100 days. Warburton said The Butchers Club, which has attracted more than 5,000 signed-up members, deepens customer relationships by eliminating the friction of a separate app and integrating directly into guests’ digital wallets. This, he said, allows Cow & Sow to capture real-time data on diner preferences and behaviour, and deliver highly individualised, hyper-tailored experiences. Warburton said: “The future of dining loyalty is about knowing your customer so intimately you can anticipate their needs before they walk through the door. Not only are we capturing rich, granular data, we are elevating the customer journey, converting customers from fans to loyal followers. Achieving more than £100,000 in sales directly through The Butcher’s Club in just 100 days demonstrates the commercial power of moving beyond generic points. Our approach, as the data is gathered, will enable us to understand that a specific diner prefers a Malbec with their Ribeye on a Tuesday, or that another always opts for the Onion Blossom reward. This is how we craft a truly bespoke, memorable experience every single time.” In August, Warburton said sales at his two Cow & Sow sites in Bristol had risen 44% over the past ten months, while the steakhouse restaurant concept’s new Birmingham site was trading beyond expectations.

Starbucks launches assistant manager role trial: Starbucks is testing a new assistant manager role to help strengthen leadership at store level. The pilot is currently happening with 62 employees across shops in California, Illinois, and Texas. Of the new hires, 90% – shift supervisors and baristas – were promoted from within. Next year, the plan is to bring at least one assistant manager to every shop in the US and Canada. “When we have strong, stable leaders throughout our operating hours, everything gets better – partner experience, customer connection and coffee house performance,” chief partner officer Sara Kelly said. Thus far, the pilot has revealed that coffee houses with high barista and shift supervisor engagement scores saw the strongest interest in assistant manager roles. Also, stores with longer-tenured leaders were more likely to have talent ready to move up. Learnings around onboarding, training, scheduling, customer experience, and team member engagement will shape the upcoming national rollout, Kelly said. The pilot is scheduled to finish in December. Kelly said: “Assistant managers will give coffee house leaders more support to run the business, coach their teams and create great experiences for partners and customers. And when the team feels supported, it thrives.” Starbucks previously announced a commitment to hire 90% of retail leadership roles internally within the next three years. The brand believes the new position will create a clearer career path for hourly workers. “This isn’t just a staffing update,” Kelly said. “It’s a meaningful investment in the heart of our business: our coffee houses and the partners who run them.” The additional leadership role is part of the brand’s overall “Back to Starbucks” strategy, which heavily leans into improving the in-restaurant dining experience.

Country club group paid £8.5m for two new sites, acquires Nottingham location: The Club Company, which owns and operates 18 country clubs in the UK, paid £8.5m to acquire two new sites last year and has since also added a Nottingham location to its portfolio. The company’s accounts for the year to 30 September 2024 revealed the group paid £1,596,000 for High Legh Park Golf Club in Knutsford, Cheshire, in February 2025, and £6,972,000 for Greetham Valley Golf & Country Club in Oakham, Rutland, in May 2024. Since the year end, the company has also completed the purchase of The Nottinghamshire Golf & Country Club in Stragglethorpe, which includes a 36-hole course, a 30-bed boutique hotel, a nine-bay driving range and restaurant/conference facilities. High Legh Park and Greetham Valley contributed £1,134,000 and £1,828,000 of revenue respectively to the company’s turnover for the year of £69,403,000, up from £60,922,000 in 2023. The company’s pre-tax loss widened from £6,341,000 in 2023 to £9,952,000, which the company said is predominately due to a £2.9m change in impairment of fixed assets year on year and a higher interest charge, offset by increased operating profits and a £2.4m higher tax credit. Director David Smith said the group “again demonstrated its resilience” during the year, increasing revenue and operating profit “despite continuing inflationary cost pressure, adverse weather and interest base rates remaining above 5% for the majority of the year”. He said membership levels grew year on year on a like-for-like basis and demand for the hotels, golf and health products remained strong. Like-for-like membership subscriptions (excluding acquisitions and Cams Hall in Hampshire) increased 10% versus the prior year, with membership levels 2% higher at the end of September 2024 than the equivalent prior year month. Adjusted group Ebitda increased from £13m in 2023 to £15.6m (£14.5m excluding the impact of acquisitions). Smith added: “The group’s results were further bolstered by the acquisitions of High Legh and Greetham Valley. This performance was encouraging against the ongoing headwinds of high inflation/interest rated and abnormally wet weather throughout much of the year. Despite these challenges, the £2m revolving credit facility was not drawn down.” The group also extended its debt facility termination date from November 2025 to November 2026.

Miss Millie’s to open first Kent site next month, 2026 to be ‘an exciting year of growth and expansion’: Fried chicken operator Miss Millie’s will open its first Kent site next month and has said 2026 is set to be “an exciting year of growth and expansion” for the business. The company will make its Kent debut in the former Pavers shoe store at 35 High Street in Canterbury. The site will join the group’s eight Bristol sites, plus one each in Newquay, Southampton, Weston-super-Mare and Musselburgh. “As we get closer to opening a new store in Canterbury next month and welcoming a new franchisee and team to the business, 2026 looks like an exciting year of growth and expansion for Miss Millie’s,” a company spokesman said. Two of the company’s sites – its Newquay and Edinburgh locations – are garage forecourt units in partnership with Motor Fuel Group.

Cosmo team confirms plans for Umami World Kitchen site in Leicester: The team behind buffet brand Cosmo has confirmed it will launch a third site under its Umami World Kitchen concept, in Leicester. As revealed by Propel this summer, Cosmo will open a site under the all-you-can-eat buffet concept in the Highcross shopping centre at the start of next year, next to the existing Azzurri Group-owned Zizzi at the scheme. Umami World Kitchen, which already operates sites in Blackpool and Telford, offers an “all you can eat buffet featuring 100 diverse cross-cultural cuisines, including Chinese, Italian, Indian and British dishes”. Cosmo, which operates 20 sites under its eponymous brand across the UK, is also planning to launch Umami World Kitchen sites in Colchester, Newcastle, Peterborough and Swansea. Earlier this year, the business launched a new concept called Smokin’ Hot Buffet and Grill in Coventry. The business relaunched its debut Umami World Kitchen in the city’s Corporation Street under the new concept based on “valuable feedback” it had received. Umami World Kitchen will be joined at the Highcross scheme by Wingstop, which will open before Christmas and will be located in St Peter’s Square, near Showcase Cinema. Wingstop UK chief executive Chris Sherriff suggested that Leicester had been its “most requested city for the past five years”.

Team behind Manchester’s Higher Ground restaurant opens seafood bar: The team behind Manchester restaurant Higher Ground has opened a new seafood bar. Bar Shrimp – from Daniel Craig Martin, Joseph Otway and Richard Cossins – has launched next to Higher Ground in the city’s New York Street. The team, which are also behind Flawd, the waterside wine bar at Ancoats Marina, said Bar Shrimp aims to be a “relaxed and focused bar with delicious food”. The company said: “Bar Shrimp is a dynamic space where the music and energy evolves throughout the evening; where everyone and anyone can come together for a memorable experience.”

Chef Stevie Parle opens new restaurant in London’s Fitzrovia: Chef Stevie Parle, who returned to the capital’s restaurant scene with the opening of Town in London’s West End earlier this year, has opened his new site in Fitzrovia. Propel revealed in August that Parle was set to open a site in Pearson Square, with the new venue joining Town as part of a growing group. Parle has now opened Motorino – a “big, London Italian” that has 150 covers. He is assisted by chef Luke Ahearne. Like Town, the site also features a drinks programme, developed under the guidance of Kevin Armstrong, founder of Satan’s Whiskers. Parle first announced plans for Town – opposite the Gillian Lynne Theatre in Drury Lane – at the end of 2023. Town was Parle’s first launch since well before the pandemic, which saw the closure of his restaurants Sardine, Palatino and Craft London. He is understood to be working with Street Feast founder Jonathan Downey on the new group.

Real estate investment firm acquires freehold of Burger King drive-thru in Norwich for £1.2m: Real estate investment firm The RO Group has acquired the freehold of a Burger King drive-thru in Norwich for £1.2m. The RO Group has added to its portfolio the 1,800 square-foot restaurant in Sweet Briar Road, which includes both drive-thru and dine-in facilities and in 2021 was let on a 15-year lease to Burger King franchisee BKUK Flame – part of Kout Food Group. Current passing rent for the unit is £65,000 per annum, subject to five-yearly upward-only open market rent reviews, with the next review due in May 2026. Nick Cashmore, investment director at The RO Group, said: “The property is situated in a prime trading location with 32,000 vehicles passing daily and let to an excellent covenant offering attractive reversionary potential in 2026 given the low historic passing rent. As we seek to grow our roadside portfolio, this is exactly the type of drive-thru asset that we will continue to target in addition to acquiring sites to develop out ourselves.” The RO Group was advised by GCW and Womble Bond Dickinson.

West Yorkshire independent Italian-inspired brunch café opens second site: Nesso Coffee, the West Yorkshire independent Italian-inspired brunch cafe created by chef Bobby Geetha, has opened its second site. Nesso has opened in Merrion Street in Leeds, adding to its café in nearby Morley that launched in 2023. Geetha said: “We are a proudly Yorkshire independent café with a squeeze of Italian flair. Our new Leeds city-centre venue is a home-away-from-home, bringing our signature brunch, coffee culture and wine-bar vibe to the heart of the city. We’ve loved the response from Morley and can’t wait to introduce more people to our Italian-inspired food and drinks, in our relaxed, modern venue.”

Hastings Pier put up for sale: The owner of Hastings Pier, Sheikh Abid Gulzar, has put it up for sale. Sheikh Gulzar bought Hastings Pier in 2018, having acquired Eastbourne Pier in 2015. Community group Friends of Hastings Pier, which previously nominated the pier as an asset of community value, has expressed its intent to bring it into public ownership. The group now has a six-week window to express an interest to bid on the pier, which closes on Wednesday, 26 November. The pier suffered storm damage in 1990, requiring a £1m refurbishment, before serious financial losses led to the appointment of liquidators, who closed the pier in 1999. The pier reopened in 2002 under new ownership but was forced to close again in 2008 amid fears that two support columns were in imminent danger of collapse. A fire then destroyed 95% of the pier in 2010, before a compulsory purchase order in 2013 saw it returned to local ownership. A £14m renovation project saw the pier reopen in 2016 but the organisation running the pier went into administration in November 2017 before being purchased by Sheikh Gulzar in 2018.

Former prisoner turned restaurateur to open debut site next month: Nathaniel Mortley, aka “NattyCanCook”, who worked with The Clink Project – the charity that aims to reduce reoffending by providing vocational training in hospitality – while in prison, will open his first restaurant next month. 2210 by NattyCanCook will launch in London’s Herne Hill on Wednesday, 5 November . Inspired by his Caribbean heritage, the restaurant will fuse “fine dining precision with the bold flavours of the Caribbean, serving an elevated pan-Caribbean menu blending the likes of Bajan, Jamaican and Guyanese ingredients and influences with classic French techniques”. Mortley recently finished his extended pop-up in Peckham, for which he won “One to Watch” in the Condé Nast Traveller 2025 UK's Top New Restaurant Awards. A native south Londoner, Mortley was born and raised in Peckham. Initially going into hospitality at 16 to train as a chef, Mortley worked at restaurants including Jason Atheron’s City Social and The Arts Club but later fell into disillusionment and trouble and found himself in HMP Brixton. However, through The Clink Project, Mortley’s passion for cooking was reignited – working as sous chef at The Clink restaurant. At 2210, he will continue to collaborate with The Clink, for whom he is still an ambassador, helping ex-offenders back into work, and forging careers in hospitality. He said: “I'm thrilled to have a permanent home to share my vision of Caribbean gastronomy, and to challenge people's perceptions and stereotypes of Caribbean cuisine, while also honouring my grandmother who was so important in my journey to being a chef. I want to show the depth, culture, and versatility of Caribbean flavours, while using techniques and presentations that stand shoulder-to-shoulder with London’s top restaurants.”

East Midlands brewers get go-ahead to open first bar: East Midlands brewers Bang The Elephant Brewing Co and Emperors Brewery have been given the go-ahead to open their first bar. The two companies are launching The Tusk & Raider in Nottingham. Plans have been approved by the city council to convert a former Pilates studio on the corner of Broadway and St Mary's Gate in the Lace Market area. The bar will be open from 12pm until 11pm Sunday to Wednesday and from 12pm until 1am Thursday to Saturday. The bar will also serve small plates of food and bar snacks, reports Nottinghamshire Live. Bang The Elephant Brewing Co is based in the Derbyshire village of Langley Mill while Emperors Brewery is a microbrewery in Coalville in Leicestershire.